My thoughts on sports and life

The universe owed them one. Rarely has a team gone from high to low so quickly in an NCAA Tournament championship game than the North Carolina Tarheels did a year ago. A miracle shot, with four seconds left tied the game, and brought fans to their feet. In a blink, Villanova answered. Kris Jenkins hit a buzzer-beating three pointer, simultaneously creating an all-time great moment in sports, winning Villanova's first championship in over 30 years, and ripping the collective hearts out of North Carolina basketball. Joel Berry remembered. He stood just a few feet from Jenkins as he launched that fateful shot. He could only watch as it went over his head, toward destiny. He returned this year, looking for redemption. Justin Jackson remembered. Like Berry, he was on the court when "The Shot" went down. He seemed destined to leave for the NBA after his sophomore season. The former top recruit stayed, though, looking for another chance. Kennedy Meeks remembered. He wasn...

There are three sure things in life, at least in my experience: death, taxes, and people missing "The Good Old Days." Every teenager in America, and I'm certain there are international versions, has heard their parents, or various other adults wish for the days of their youth. Eye rolls tend to commence afterwards. As I have left childhood, and even young adulthood behind, and have had kids of my own, I have gradually discovered why people say it. I'm in my 40th year, and I find myself longing for the days of my youth. I'm not talking about just being young again, because that's life, and I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything. But I do miss a less complicated time. My first job was working at one of the two grocery stores in town. It was the smaller of the two, but it had its own charms. As a kid my cousins and I would walk down there for candy. It looked huge at that age. It's special feature was on the end of one of the aisles, where rows ...